Main menu

Post navigation

Jealousy is useful…

…it's like a big green arrow pointing you to what's missing, or what's not quite right, or what you desire.

Recently I was spewing with envy at Gareth and his fancypants Etape du Tour training schedule. I've no desire to pedal over an Alp or four; I just liked the idea of having a schedule in an important looking PDF file!

Then I was jealous of his new Garmin bike computer thingo. He's never been a Gadget Man – he's always mocked my Wankerphone obsession – but he is quite taken with the Garmin. The graphs, the numbers, the maps. He plugged it in to his computer after a 40 mile ride and looked at the route map, and by pure accident he'd ridden in the shape of a Golden Retriever!

Arf! You need to use your imagination a wee bit… it's sitting in the grass, having a rest!

Then I had a truly sad case of Post-It envy. At the start of the Up & Running 5K course we suggest our runners put 24 Post-it notes on the wall, so they can riiiip one off after completing each workout. It's a great visual way to see your progress. People get really creative and colourful with their countdowns and it's one of my favourite parts of the Course. This time? Aww man. I want Post-Its.

Digging a little deeper, what was really going on there? Beyond the surface gadget and stationery envy, I was jealous of everyone's sense of purpose. I was feeling kinda lardy, left out, left behind.

So… action was required to bust out of this green fog! I talked to Julia and asked her if she'd mind sorting me out with a Proper Training Plan for the Bologna 6km race. She already coaches ten trillon people but she had room at the inn to boss around one more! So now I have a plan, a spreadsheet, and very my own Post-It countdown:

I am LOVING tearing off those little suckers! There's a teeny tiny little thhhffft sound which is very satisfying. I've also rediscovered the Walkmeter app for my map fix… much cheaper than a Garmin. My routes look more like a little dog turds than big Golden Retrievers, but hey ho!

I admit, sometimes I find it freaking hard to keep my eyes on my own work. Comparing; contrasting. Especially when surrounded by so many people performing great feats of sportiness every day. Sometimes it's also hard to drown out that voice saying wow you used to be so much fitter, why'd you screw that up? But this new training plan is helping me focus on the here and now. Combined with the yoga, Pilates and TRX, I'm full of endorphins right now… much better for the soul than envy!

Share and Enjoy

22 thoughts on “Jealousy is useful…”

I do so admire people who can work these gadgets into their lives but I am alas a humble luddite who can barely operate an ipod and who finds it difficult to even work a heart monitor! But I am glad you are more techno savvy.

THANK-YOU! Good call. Whenever I get bitchy about otherwise nice people, it always take me ages to work out there is something going on inside me. (I justt avoided clicking on a link that said “bla bla successful pastry chef etc etc” but I am not yet that person. Crazy no?) Jealousy, sense of failure. Normally it takes someone else to point it out 🙂 Today you are that person.

I love that you are another who needs outside gadget, or competition to get your arse in gear! I am right there with you! Although I may protest till Nike Fuel comes to Canada to get up and move… Just kidding… maybe?? 😉

I need to get my butt in gear! Maybe I will become really jealous of your found motivation, and try and one up you and get off the computer and go for a ride…

Oh, what a good idea! That’s probably exactly what I’m missing too…some visual way of seeing that I’m actually DOING WHAT I SAID I WOULD

On the Garmin… ahyes, my hubby Dave love his. Even more addictive, get Gareth to check out link to strava.com if he hasn’t already – it’s a “facebook” for cyclists, you post your rides and can get ranked on sections against other cyclists doing the same ones – Dave credits this with kicking up his training enthusiasm!

Love your U&R pink post-its too and what a satisfying sound they make!! There’s nothing more motivating than a Proper Training Plan issued by the one and only Julia. The count down to Bologna is on! xx